georges perec, stereolab, serge gainsbourg, harry nilsson, labradford, delia derbyshire & radiophonic workshop, burt bacharach, frank sinatra, lilac time, belle and sebastian, throwing muses, marcel duchamp, lee hazlewood... and a darlin' named nancy, aphex twin, js bach, high llamas, godspeed you black emperor!, broadcast, can, REM, rachels, john barry, a hawk and a hacksaw, arbol, raymond scott, queneau and the oulipo, maps of unbuilt towns, american song poems, lambchop, calexico, bill landford, tindersticks, jacques brel, lonnie donegan, the ankles, my bloody valentine, cornelius, shirokuma, van dyke parks, moondog, his name is alive, raymond roussel, guy debord, pavement, velvet underground, mazzy star, jane birkin, charlie parker, tortoise, don williams, brian cant & freddie phillips, raymond chandler and men in hats, jorge luis borges, johnny cash, european, hank williams, tom waits and.... the incomparable ainsley jarvis.
Neye Benziyor?
nick drake, beach boys, simon & garfunkel, elliott smith, sufjan stevens, mamas and the papas, glen campbell, byrds, low, red house painters, george, smog, kraftwerk, state river widening, the beatles, paul mccartney, harry nilsson, carter family
Click the button below to buy a limited edition, handmade CD album of This Is The Sound Of The Winter Journey through Paypal for £10 inc P&P (in UK- ask for international) from Timbreland Recordings:
The Winter Journey are a gentle duo out of place in Manchester, England.
The first Winter Journey long-playing record is now available from Timbreland Recordings, distributed by Forte. It is called "This is The Sound of The Winter Journey", because it is the sound of The Winter Journey. ~
The album has 11 songs on it. There are harmonies and dancing and fingerpicking and sad songs and quite happy songs that are a little unsure of themselves. Anthony wrote it all, and he and Suzy have carefully recorded it by hand, for your listening pleasure, at home, on christmases, birthdays and other days of rest. ~
All the things that have made The Winter Journey live performances such exciting and unpredictable events are on the record. There are zither songs about music catalogues, songs with metronomes and Carl Wilson surprises, an acoustic krautrock number about 5pm on a friday, tapdancing, metaphysical ruminations hiding under a sunny McCartney blanket of harmonies, the Carter Family wigging out with the Wright Brothers, and a tribute to Louis Armstrong with glockenspiels and bells. Amongst other things that are harder to describe:
"The Winter Journey are a group dripping with quaint romanticism, bookish sophistication and lots and lots of cool refinement. Think Stephen Fry were he to form an acoustic folk group..... The result is their wondrous debut album – a bewitching journey through Seventies pastoral folk, but with a daring sonic palette which squeezes in influences from Elliott Smith to Gainsbourg to Krautrock.. an album oozing a warm-blanket intimacy." (Manchester Evening News)
"It's all just so lovely. Crafted with tenderness and pride, it is an album of gentle joy that comes laden with tiny pieces of beauty, unusual gifts of zither meanderings and finger picked guitar, and no end of unexpected treats..the solid bedrock on which the pair build their ethereal delights is just weighty enough to ensure that the beauty is memorable, rather than fleeting... Delightful and delicious, it is an album so heart-warming, it almost makes you weep – and that is as beautiful a reaction as the sentiment it conveys deserves." (BBC Introducing)
"delightful hidden treasures.....wonderfully tender fire side gems... a rich tapestry of classically drilled Brit folk... the 'rubber soul' era Beatles-esque lilt of 'Malachi my messenger' within its rustically hued drifting spectral grace harnesses the same sweetly honed silky outer worldly resonance as was once much a feature of George Harrison though the best of the set is the introspectively bruised and crushed 'spring song' which should see tears aplenty...." (Losing Today)
"The Winter Journey are a band who will always tread far off the beaten track, this time delivering moments of intense reflection and sombre, memorable snapshots of classic British folk" (Manchester Music)
"Vintage folk songwriting and run down acoustic balladry. 'Malachi My Messenger' opens up the album like a rickety combination of Simon & Garfunkel and Peter, Paul & Mary - perhaps with a smidgeon of Elliott Smith thrown in there for good measure. The writing's of a very high standard, with highpoints like the melody of 'Sovereign' and the Sufjan Stevens-like harmonies of 'Ready-Mades' instantly engraving themselves onto your memory, and as simple as these spare, acoustic arrangements may be, the intimate delivery and fine instrumental skill on show make for a thoroughly enjoyable listen." (Boomkat)
The first 500 copies of "This Is The Sound of The Winter Journey" come in a highly desirable hand made, hand stamped, hand numbered audiophile CD edition.~
Suzy and Anthony played in the band George on Pickled Egg Records & Lejos discos, gathering plaudits including Pitchfork Media's top 50 albums of 2003, and touring with Hawk and a Hacksaw and Nalle amongst others. ~
Suzy recently released her first solo LP "The Other Side Of The Mountain" on Pickled Egg, to widespread acclaim; she has sung on records for Piano Magic, Arbol and Big Eyes Family Players, most recently with Arbol at Sonar in Barcelona, and was recently asked to contribute a song to the James Yorkston boxset. Anthony used to play in the band European and mostly sings to himself ~
The Winter Journey LP is now available from Timbreland and your local excellent independent record emporium as well. The Winter Journey are now playing live shows around the UK- any interested promoters please get in touch!~
Click the button below to buy a limited edition, handmade CD album of This Is The Sound Of The Winter Journey through Paypal for £10 inc P&P (in UK- ask for international) from Timbreland Recordings:
the air here in canada has turned cold, and despite having just gotten rid of all the snow and ice on the streets, tonight's forecast calls for another 15 cm of snow.
your record sounds really rather good in these conditions. (not that it doesn't in all conditions, mind, but this seems particularly fitting).
